CHAPTER 5: NEXT MISSION

Instead of walking back to the mansion, the couple decided to head back to the cabin.

A year ago, this cabin became her home. Marco wants her to move to his mansion when she regains consciousness, but she declines. Athena begged him to let her stay in the cabin instead, so Marco asked Nana Maria to send someone to help her around, but she refused. Athena needs her freedom to move around the house without being watched. She can't be careless.

Living alone and away from other people's views is what she needed for security reasons. Athena doesn't know the area and the people around, so she needs to be vigilant. Although she doesn't feel threatened by the man who rescued her, his looks say he's not simple.

She asked Marco if she could transform her previous room in the cabin as her study or personal space before they tied the knot, and he agreed. He hesitated at first, but she was able to coax him. So the cabin now has 2 study rooms, one for her and one is Marco's.

Unlike Marco's study, hers only has a table with the latest computer, a comfortable gray swivel chair, a white coffee table, and a gray two-seater couch. Marco wants to add more furnishings, but she told him that she doesn't need those. A computer is what she needs, and the rest are just a bonus.

As soon as Marco closed the door, he grabbed Athena's wrist, and she spun around, facing him. Marco smirked at her surprised look, lowered his head, and gave her a domineering kiss.

"Mmm," Athena closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss. His tongue was exploring inside her mouth, and she did the same. Their tongues are like swords having an intense fight, and no one wants to surrender.

Athena circled her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her. She felt his manhood poking on her belly. Athena smiled. She put her hands inside his shirt, rubbing his back, going up and down. She's already turned on, and she wants him on top of her.

"M-Marcoo," she moaned with desire.

"Hmm... Bea, I can't get enough of you," he said with a hoarse voice holding his impulse to rip her clothes.

"Me too, Marco... l love every bit of you." She said possessively.

Their hands are busy undressing each other while their lips are still exploring each other's mouths.

He carried her bridal style to the main bedroom without breaking their hot kiss. He lay her down on their bed, slowly, releasing her lips. Her reddened face cannot hide the lust in her eyes. She bit her lower lip while watching his every move.

He positioned himself in front of her, separating her legs. Athena shivers with his touch. Marco penetrates her gently. "You're so tight, my love... ugh," he moaned as her flower swallowed his manhood. Leisurely going in hard and out, he started pounding on her faster. They are the only ones in the cabin. No one can hear the moans and their bodies slamming each other. The burning desire they had for each made their lovemaking more intense.

"Arghhhh..."

"Ahhhh..."

They screamed at the same time as they reached their climax. Marco and Athena express their deep feelings and become one in mind, body, and soul each time they consummate their marriage.

Athena woke up feeling sore again. Her lower body was still in pain the night before, and after another fierce battle on the bed last night, her body became more uncomfortable. She shakes her head with a smile, then looks at the gorgeous man lying beside her. If someone asks her right now to choose, she will not have a second thought of choosing him. Then reality hit her. Athena forced herself to get up and went to her study unhurriedly.

Anton Baltazar, supposedly her retirement mission. She received an encrypted email last month. But because she failed to report personally, her retirement was put on hold even though their organization received the USB drive. Their rule is that a retiree candidate must finish their last mission and report personally to receive the retirement benefits and the likes. Additionally, a send-off to a new life is a must-have too. Every organization member who left never has access or contact to the organization to prevent exposing their unique identity.

She turned on the computer and reread the email. There's a new mission that needs her decision. In her mind, the answer is a yes, but her heart is telling her not to go. Her boss had given her a chance to fulfill her goal since she joined the organization when she was fifteen. She trained harder than anybody else for three years. Three months before her eighteenth birthday, fourteen recruits, including herself, jumped off from the airplane to the Amazon Rainforest. Their last mission is to complete their training to survive in the Amazon for seven days.

She was scared at first, but the thought of becoming a part of the organization if she successfully finished the last mission gave her the courage to shrug off her fear. The helicopter dropped them off in two groups. The organization has branches on seven continents, so each continent needs to send two of its best recruits. Each member of the group represents their continent. In fairness, they sent them to the forest with everything they might need to stay alive, like first aid kits. It is like telling them that they won't die of hunger because they can always find edible plants to eat but will die if they encounter other elements living in the forest that can hurt them. That's why they sent medicine to heal their wounds, which is more likely than starving.

The Amazon rainforest is among the deadliest forests in the world. The home of the most dangerous animals like anacondas, jaguars, cougars, and poisonous plants like Strychnia. They don't have a choice but to survive in the dense forest for a week. Athena will choose to face her enemies rather than being thrown in the Amazon. Reminiscing about her one week in the Amazon, she can't help but tremble.

Benjamin Baltazar is her next mission. According to the information found in the USB drive, she got from Anton Baltazar. He will be in City S in three weeks. She clenched her jaw while staring at Benjamin Baltazar's latest picture. He had more wrinkles compared to his look ten years ago. She won't forget the man's face, even if Benjamin would be covered with ruffles all over. He is the reason why she endured everything and reached this far.

On the third day, they were inside the Amazon. She was exhausted from running away from predators. She got bitten by bullet ants when she accidentally stepped on their territory. The pain did not bother her because she had gotten used to it since she started training, but she couldn't sleep that night. It is excruciating. The combination of hot temperature, humidity, and pain makes her sweat profusely. She felt like dying and wanted to give up, but the face of Benjamin Baltazar flashed in her mind. 'No, she can't surrender like this,' she mumbled. She got up and took care of her foot, bitten by bullet ants. She doesn't want to torture herself with the pain.

They reached their destination on the seventh day. The 18-seater helicopter is already waiting in the open field. Their group of seven was now down to four, and the other group was down to three. They were all worn out. Their haggard look is scary. The helicopter landed at the main base and sent them directly to the medical wing of the organization's main floor. They were called the lucky seven. There are some rumors that they couldn't find anyone of the recruits before them. That is why when seven of them returned, they were amazed and celebrated. Their batch has the most number of people who survived on that mission.